Engine noise I'm using synthetic 5w20 engine oil....is it good ?apparently thats what they recommend...Should i worry about the ticking noise on my 2005 lincoln navigator and how expensive is it to fix? Regards R

You have the 5.4 3 valve engine in your Navigator, Ford has had various problems with noise from this motor. The cost of repair will vary because this noise cam come from different places, such as cam phasers, valve lash adjusters and sometimes the ticking noise is actually coming from the injectors which is considered normal. I would have it checked out by the dealer. -Jared

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If it calls for 5W30, use 5W30 only. The weight of the motor oil is very important for proper lubrication. It does not matter if synthetic or not, as long as you use the exact motor oil that is specified in your owners manual. I do not recommend using 5W20 motor oil. Never !!!

you can but not recommended. the reason for the thinner oil is the tolerances in the bearing races on these engines are very tight, requiring thinner oil. 5w30 is ok for sure if you are going synthetic.

Normally on the oil filler cap or oil dipstick you will find a recommendation for the oil viscosity such as "10w40" or "5w20". The first number indicates what the "thickness" or viscosity of the oil is during warm weather conditions and the second indicates the cold weather weight of the oil. Hence "10w40" actually stands for "10 ... winter 40." Check to see what the recommended viscosity is for your MX-3 on the filler cap first. I believe the recommended weight for the MX3 is 5w20 but this might be different depending on the year. One thing that is very important though: Studies by Castrol, who are very proud of their synthetic oils, clearly state that it is a very bad idea to put synthetic motor oil in a rotary engine. Therefore it is highly recommended that no matter what viscosity of oil you use, you should be certain to read the oil container carefully to ensure that it contains no synthetics. Personally I have always run either mobil or valvoline in all my performance engines with very good results. I have blown three engines on Castrol synthetic oils, and literally had one vehicle engine (a 276 CI V6) explode running Castrol Syntec. In each case (except the exploded engine since there was little left to inspect) I found large chunks of carbonized solidified burned oil (and by large I mean the size of walnuts or bigger) inside my oil pans. Back to the subject though, simply verify the viscosity on the filler cap or the dipstick. If you don't see it there, you will definitely find it on a label affixed above the radiator or inside the hood. Once you get the right viscosity just make sure to buy a good brand of non-synthetic oil. Also don't trust "in house" brands of oil, such as "Advance auto parts oil" or "Fastrac oil". Many of those are recycled filtered oils which have been used, recycled, filtered and have additives mixed in to "restore life" to them.

The Castrol synthetic 5W20 oil may be too light for your car. None of the following three sources recommend 5W20 oil.

Per Bentley manual for 1999 and later E39 BMW (excluding M5), BMW HP 5W30 synthetic oil (07 51 0 017 866) is recommended.Per the Mobil Oil web site, Mobil 1 synthetic 0W40 oil is recommended.Per the Castrol Oil web site:SM 5W-30 - Thank you for inquiring about what oil is best for your
vehicle. Based on the information you provided, your vehicle requires a
special engine oil that can only be purchased at your local dealer.
Please visit your local dealer to ensure that your vehicle is serviced
properly.

Does the noise vary or is it constant? Noticed only at startup or all the time?Another ticking noise source could be the VANOS unit.PT Stanley

I wouldn't worry much unless it lasts for more than a few weeks after the next oil change. What you're probably hearing is the valves rattling. This is because of the very low consistency of the oil. I wouldn't recommend 5w20 for any engine personally, as when it is at normal operating temperature it's more like water then oil. I'd simply change the oil again after a couple days and let the new oil feed out any of the 5w20.

If this problem persists, I'd definitely take it to the shop to have checked just some internal damage occured.

On a side note, a good idea for you; get a can of oil treatment such as STP or Valvoline. This can help revive the consistency of the oil and possibly quiet that sound. But, it'll definitely help keep the oil where it should be.